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Tag: valencia county

  • New Mexico boy receives life-changing heart transplant

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    Hunter Rael, an 8-year-old boy from New Mexico, has received a new heart after experiencing Kawasaki disease, a rare illness that causes inflammation of the blood vessels and serious heart issues.Hunter’s family received a life-changing phone call on Tuesday, informing them that a new heart was available for him. “We were in shock. We were a mix of emotions. We were crying,” Anna Moya, his mother, said.The news comes right around Hunter’s three-year anniversary of his Kawasaki disease diagnosis. On Nov. 1, 2022, Hunter was diagnosed with the rare illness. It primarily affects young children and causes inflammation of blood vessels throughout the body, but in Hunter’s case, it caused serious heart issues.According to the Mayo Clinic, Kawasaki disease most often affects the heart arteries in children. Kids with the illness sometimes have a high fever, swollen hands and feet with skin peeling, red eyes, and tongue. The Mayo Clinic reports that with early treatment, most children get better and have no long-lasting symptoms. On Tuesday, Hunter just got back to New Mexico after traveling to Colorado for a checkup at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Around 11 that morning, he received a phone call he’s been waiting for. “You need to come back. We found Hunter a heart, and it’s go time,” said Moya. He and his mom immediately got on a plane and headed to Colorado.At 5 a.m. Wednesday, Hunter underwent surgery. Cell phone video shared by his family shows the 8-year-old being wheeled back to surgery as he listens to his favorite artist, Jelly Roll. Hunter said Jelly Roll’s music helps keep him calm and gets him through tough times.In October, Hunter got a surprise package from Jelly Roll’s team. It included some gifts and a signed album. According to Hunter, meeting the artist would be a dream come true.Doctors found a bleed flooding the transplant, but were able to fix it. Hunter’s family says right now, Hunter is in stable condition after having a rough night.As of Thursday, Hunter was on an ECMO machine to allow his heart and lungs to rest and heal. His family told sister station KOAT that things are looking good, but it’s going to take some time to see how his body adjusts to the new heart.”They’re slowly starting to kind of wake him up off the sedation. He’ll probably be on that for a few more days. Then we’ll probably have more like of an understanding, make sure everything’s going good, no brain damage, because he’s had a hard hit,” said Moya. “It’s really affecting his body. He’s kind of swollen right now, and they’re trying just to get everything under control.”Hunter and his family want to thank everyone who’s reached out and has been following his journey. “We appreciate all the prayers. Just keep rooting for him. Just keep praying,” said Moya. ‘”As soon as I’m able to show you guys his beautiful face and he’s awake, I will, I will do that … we’ll get him singing Jelly Roll again and we’re going to get there. It’s just going to take time.”

    Hunter Rael, an 8-year-old boy from New Mexico, has received a new heart after experiencing Kawasaki disease, a rare illness that causes inflammation of the blood vessels and serious heart issues.

    Hunter’s family received a life-changing phone call on Tuesday, informing them that a new heart was available for him.

    “We were in shock. We were a mix of emotions. We were crying,” Anna Moya, his mother, said.

    The news comes right around Hunter’s three-year anniversary of his Kawasaki disease diagnosis. On Nov. 1, 2022, Hunter was diagnosed with the rare illness. It primarily affects young children and causes inflammation of blood vessels throughout the body, but in Hunter’s case, it caused serious heart issues.

    According to the Mayo Clinic, Kawasaki disease most often affects the heart arteries in children. Kids with the illness sometimes have a high fever, swollen hands and feet with skin peeling, red eyes, and tongue. The Mayo Clinic reports that with early treatment, most children get better and have no long-lasting symptoms.

    On Tuesday, Hunter just got back to New Mexico after traveling to Colorado for a checkup at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Around 11 that morning, he received a phone call he’s been waiting for.

    “You need to come back. We found Hunter a heart, and it’s go time,” said Moya.

    He and his mom immediately got on a plane and headed to Colorado.

    At 5 a.m. Wednesday, Hunter underwent surgery. Cell phone video shared by his family shows the 8-year-old being wheeled back to surgery as he listens to his favorite artist, Jelly Roll. Hunter said Jelly Roll’s music helps keep him calm and gets him through tough times.

    In October, Hunter got a surprise package from Jelly Roll’s team. It included some gifts and a signed album. According to Hunter, meeting the artist would be a dream come true.

    Doctors found a bleed flooding the transplant, but were able to fix it. Hunter’s family says right now, Hunter is in stable condition after having a rough night.

    As of Thursday, Hunter was on an ECMO machine to allow his heart and lungs to rest and heal. His family told sister station KOAT that things are looking good, but it’s going to take some time to see how his body adjusts to the new heart.

    “They’re slowly starting to kind of wake him up off the sedation. He’ll probably be on that for a few more days. Then we’ll probably have more like of an understanding, make sure everything’s going good, no brain damage, because he’s had a hard hit,” said Moya. “It’s really affecting his body. He’s kind of swollen right now, and they’re trying just to get everything under control.”

    Hunter and his family want to thank everyone who’s reached out and has been following his journey.

    “We appreciate all the prayers. Just keep rooting for him. Just keep praying,” said Moya. ‘”As soon as I’m able to show you guys his beautiful face and he’s awake, I will, I will do that … we’ll get him singing Jelly Roll again and we’re going to get there. It’s just going to take time.”

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  • New Mexico teen becomes first girl in her county to earn the rank of Eagle Scout

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    TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO ABC. CHANGES CAME TO THE BOY SCOUTS IN 2019, WHEN THE ORGANIZATION REBRANDED, OPENED ITS DOORS TO GIRLS AT THAT POINT, THEN THIS YEAR BECAME WHAT THEY CALL SCOUTING AMERICA. AND NOW THE FIRST YOUNG WOMAN IN VALENCIA COUNTY JUST ACHIEVED THE RANK OF EAGLE SCOUT. OUR OWN PEYTON SPELLACY JOINS US IN THE STUDIO THIS MORNING WITH MORE ABOUT HER STORY. HI, PEYTON. HEY, TODD AND ROYALE. SO TO BECOME AN EAGLE SCOUT, YOU MUST COMPLETE A MAJOR COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT FOR 17 YEAR OLD GABRIELLE MONTOYA. THAT MEANT TAKING SOMETHING LIKE A TIRE AND TRANSFORMING IT INTO A DOG BED FOR THE VALENCIA COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER. IT’S TAKEN HER ABOUT FIVE YEARS TO BECOME AN EAGLE SCOUT, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST RANK IN SCOUTING, REQUIRING YEARS OF DEDICATION, LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY SERVICE. I ALSO WANT TO SHOW YOU HER UNIFORM HERE. THE SASH HOLDS MORE THAN 40 BADGES, EACH ONE REPRESENTING A SKILL THAT SHE’S MASTERED FROM FIRST AID TO SPACE EXPLORATION AND SHOTGUN SAFETY. EACH SKILL ALSO HELPED HER PREPARE FOR LIFE IN HER DREAM TO BECOME A VETERINARIAN. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO DO WITH MY LIFE IS HELP THOSE ANIMALS AND HELP OTHER PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM IN THE SAME WAY THAT I DO. AND PART OF THE REASON THAT SCOUTING SORT OF HAS ASSISTED ME IN THIS WAY IS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU LEARN A THING OR TWO FROM MERIT BADGES LIKE THESE AND YOU LEARN HOW TO, YOU KNOW, BE THE BEST PERSON THAT YOU CAN BE THROUGHOUT THIS JOURNEY, MONTOYA SAYS SCOUTING HELPED HER GROW AS A LEADER AND AS A PERSON, AND HER MESSAGE TO YOUNG GIRLS WHO WANT TO BECOME AN EAGLE SCOUT IS TO JUST TAKE THE LEAP.

    Teen becomes first girl in her county to earn Eagle Scout rank

    17-year-old Gabrielle Montoya’s 5-year journey led to community service, leadership, and more than 40 merit badges

    Updated: 11:22 AM EDT Sep 20, 2025

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    Changes came to the Boy Scouts in 2019 when the organization rebranded and opened its doors to girls. This year, it became Scouting America.Now, Valencia County, New Mexico, can boast its first girl to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.Seventeen-year-old Gabrielle Montoya earned the honor after five years of dedication, leadership, and community service. To reach the highest rank in scouting, she completed a major project that turned old tires into dog beds for the Valencia County Animal Shelter.Her uniform sash carries more than 40 merit badges, each marking a skill she has mastered, from first aid to space exploration and shotgun safety. Those skills, Montoya said, have prepared her not only for life but also for her dream career as a veterinarian.”One of the things that I want to do with my life is help those animals and help other people who love them in the same way that I do,” she said. “And part of the reason that scouting sort of has assisted me in this way is because, you know, you learn a thing or two from merit badges like these, and you learn how to, you know, be the best person that you can be throughout this journey.”Montoya also takes pride in the patches displayed on her uniform.”This is my patrol patch. We’re part of the Frosty Flippers. And the patrol is basically a leadership group within the troop. So kind of like a bureaucracy if you think, like, different levels of government, we’ve got the same thing in the troop,” she said. “This is a Journey to Excellence Award. And what this represents is a couple of things that our troop had to do in order to take the step up and be a step above, and maybe like an average Scout troop.”She pointed out one patch in particular.”This patch right here is particularly important. This is in memory of one of the scouts in our brother troop, who actually was an Eagle Scout named Evan Strickland, who passed away during an Osprey accident in service. So we wear this in memory for him and in memory for his family as well,” she said.Other patches on her uniform represent the High Desert Council, the troop she helped found, her role as a junior assistant scoutmaster, and her Eagle Scout rank. She also wears patches for completing polar bear plunge activities and for her membership in the Order of the Arrow, scouting’s honor society.Montoya said scouting helped her grow as a leader and as a person. Her advice to other girls hoping to follow in her footsteps is to take the leap.

    Changes came to the Boy Scouts in 2019 when the organization rebranded and opened its doors to girls. This year, it became Scouting America.

    Now, Valencia County, New Mexico, can boast its first girl to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.

    Seventeen-year-old Gabrielle Montoya earned the honor after five years of dedication, leadership, and community service. To reach the highest rank in scouting, she completed a major project that turned old tires into dog beds for the Valencia County Animal Shelter.

    Her uniform sash carries more than 40 merit badges, each marking a skill she has mastered, from first aid to space exploration and shotgun safety. Those skills, Montoya said, have prepared her not only for life but also for her dream career as a veterinarian.

    “One of the things that I want to do with my life is help those animals and help other people who love them in the same way that I do,” she said. “And part of the reason that scouting sort of has assisted me in this way is because, you know, you learn a thing or two from merit badges like these, and you learn how to, you know, be the best person that you can be throughout this journey.”

    Montoya also takes pride in the patches displayed on her uniform.

    “This is my patrol patch. We’re part of the Frosty Flippers. And the patrol is basically a leadership group within the troop. So kind of like a bureaucracy if you think, like, different levels of government, we’ve got the same thing in the troop,” she said. “This is a Journey to Excellence Award. And what this represents is a couple of things that our troop had to do in order to take the step up and be a step above, and maybe like an average Scout troop.”

    She pointed out one patch in particular.

    “This patch right here is particularly important. This is in memory of one of the scouts in our brother troop, who actually was an Eagle Scout named Evan Strickland, who passed away during an Osprey accident in service. So we wear this in memory for him and in memory for his family as well,” she said.

    Other patches on her uniform represent the High Desert Council, the troop she helped found, her role as a junior assistant scoutmaster, and her Eagle Scout rank. She also wears patches for completing polar bear plunge activities and for her membership in the Order of the Arrow, scouting’s honor society.

    Montoya said scouting helped her grow as a leader and as a person. Her advice to other girls hoping to follow in her footsteps is to take the leap.

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